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LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 



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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 
BUREAU OF FISHERIES 



Economic Circular No. 47 :::::::: Issued August 18, 1920 

THE HADDOCK: ONE OF THE BEST SALT-WATER 

FISHES." 



With Recipes for Cooking It. 



Tradition tells that the fishermen of France knew the great fishing 
banks of the western Atlantic before Columbus set sail on his first 
vo\"age, and however skeptical one may feel as to* that statement, it 
is known that not less than 50 vessels, under various flags, were 
fishing on the Newfoundland banks in 1517, only a quarter of a 
century after the great discoverer's first landing on the shores of 
America. 




Before there was a single permanent European settlement north of 
the Spanish possessions, several hundred vessels were engaged in 
this ''noble fishery," and England and France were engaged in 
fierce rivalry for its possession. The early attempts at settlement 
were induced largely or wholly by the prospect of profit which it 
offered, the peace of the colonists was disturbed for nearly a century 
and a half by the wars which this rivalry fomented between the 
two nations, and the participation of the English colonies in the 
warfare brought about the solidarity of sentiment and community of 
interest which enabled them a few years later successfully to establish 
their own claims to independence. 



a By H. F. Moore, Deputy Commissioner, Bureau of Fisheries. 



1S69S7°— 20 



Mono.-: 



These fisheries, which thus dominated events of our early history, 
were conducted principally for cod because that species was particu- 
larly adapted to the methods of curing of that day, but many of the 
chronicles of the fishing voyages mention the great abundance of 
haddock. Hand-lines were exclusively employed, and they were 
used where the cod predominated, but about the middle of the last 
century the trawl line was introduced from Europe and haddock 
began to be caught in greater numbers. 

Those who knew the fish appreciated its merits, but as it was used 
principally in the fresh state it was not known far from the coast 
until transportation was improved by the development of the rail- 
roads and ice came into use in preserving fish in transit. 

Recently another change in the fisheries has resulted in a further 
heayy increase in the take of haddock which will make it possible to 
supply a very large part of the country east of the Rocky Mountains 
with this moderate-priced fish, which for many purposes is unexcelled. 
This change is the introduction of steam trawlers, those sturdy little 
vessels whicn were prominent in news dispatches during the great war, 
usually in connection with some hazardous undertaking in mine 
sweeping or mine laying about the British Isles. ' 

Before the war they were practically unknown to the American 
public, even by name, save in a few fishing ports on our northeastern 
seaboard. There were not over a dozen of them under the American 
flag, but their efficiency in their own proper sphere of peaceful 
industry has been so clearly shown, particularly during the period 
when food production was a paramount war necessity, that there 
are now two score or more actively engaged in the fisheries of New 
England. 

The typical trawler is a two-masted steamer, about 125 feet or 
more in length and very seaworthy, whose characteristic fishing 
apparatus is the otter trawl, a huge flattened conical bag of heavy 
netting, which is towed slowly over the floor of the sea taking into its 
capacious maw vast quantities of bottom-dwelling fishes. This bag 
is about 150 feet long, and its mouth is kept open when fishing by a 
pair of " otter boards," like great barn doors, one at each side, which 
operate like kites pulling away from one another, and spread the 
open front of the net over a horizontal istance of 75 to 90 feet. At 
each haul this net sweeps about 80 acres of the bottom. 

Of course, all of the fish on this area are not caught. Some swim 
above the net and others escape from its sweep, but nevertheless the 
catches are heavy, and as the bottom frequented by the haddock is 
comparatively smooth and adapted to the use of the otter trawl, the 
recent increase in the number of trawlers operating on our coast has 
resulted in a corresponding increase in the catch of that species in 
particular. There has occurred an overproduction of these fish and 
some vessels have been temporarily withdrawn from the fishery. 
The demand has not kept pace with the increase in supply, not 
because of any inferiority of the fish, but because most comsumers 
outside of New England and the Middle States have not been familiar 
with its merits of quality and price. It presents the almost unique 
spectacle, in this era, of a food product in abundant supply at a price 
but little above that which it commanded when the purchasing 
power of the dollar was approximately double that of to-day, and 

H; 0£ -*'« 



for that reason, if for no other, it merits the housewife's attention 
and investigation. 

In 1919 the take of haddock was over 30 per cent greater than in 
1915, and the quantity landed in March, 1920, was over 60 per cent 
larger than during the corresponding month of 1915. In consequence 
of this growth in production the price of the fish at the vessel side has 
increased but 27 per cent in the intervening five years, during which 
the much greater increase in the cost of most other foods has been 
notorious. Measured by the comparative purchasing power of the 
dollar the price of haddock is actually much less than before the war, 
and the benefit of this should be passed on to the consumer. 

The haddock is found exclusively in the Atlantic Ocean, ranging 
from the Arctic south to the Bay of Biscay in Europe, and in deep 
water to Cape Hatteras in America. In the western Atlantic the 
principal fisheries are off the shores and on the various fishing banks 
from Cape Cod to Newfoundland. I| appears to reach a maximum 
size of about 25 pounds, but the average weight of mature fish is 
much less than that. In the markets any haddock weighing over 
23^2 pounds is classed as " large," those under that weight being 
known as "scrod." The fish is a bottom dweller, though its eggs are 
lighter than the sea water and rise to the surface and are distributed 
in abundance over large areas of the sea during the spawning season. 
It occurs in enormous numbers on the great fishing banks which 
stretch from Cape Cod to Newfoundland, and at certain seasons fre- 
quents the shores. It is a relative of the cod, and although it never 
reaches the same large size it has many of the same qualities, and for 
some purposes the experienced cook of New England gives it prefer- 
ence. 

The average constituents of the two fishes, based on a number of 
analyses, are as follows: 





Haddock. 


Cod. 


Proteins 


Per cent. 

17.10 

.26 

1.25 

81.39 


Per cent. 
16. 00 


Fats 


.30 


Ash 


1.24 


Water 


82.46 







It will be seen that the haddock is one of the "dry" fishes, and for 
this reason it is superior for some methods of cooking, and many 
persons prefer it generally to the rich, oily species. It is a staple fish 
in good supply throughout the year, and can be taken in quantities 
to meet any demand. It also " carries" well if properly handled, and 
can be "laid down" in good condition in the great central part of the 
country where now the fish supply is usually deficient. 

The haddock is not only obtainable in the fresh state, but also dried 
and salted like cod, and smoked. In the latter state it is known as 
finnan haddie and is one of the most delicious of smoked products. 



RECIPES. 

FRESH HADDOCK. 
1. Pan-Broiled Haddock, Quick-Oven Method. 

The following method of cooking haddock was originated by Mrs. Evelyn Spencer 
and used by her in demonstrations of fish cookery under the auspices of the Bureau 
of Fisheries during the war. It is particularly recommended as preserving the natural 
juices and flavor of the fish, eliminating the odor of cooking, and economizing in the 
use of fuel and expensive cooking fats. 

Wash the fish in cold water. Cut into pieces of the proper size for individual 
service. Dip in salted milk (one-half teaspoonful salt in 1 cup milk) and then into 
dry finely sifted bread crumbs. Place the pieces in a well-greased pan, sprinkle a 
little cooking oil or melted fat over the surface of each, and bake in a very quick oven 
for 10 to 15 minutes, depending on the thickness of the pieces. When the fish is baked 
to a deep golden brown, place on a hot platter and garnish with parsley or slices of 
lemon. May be served plain or with tartar sauce. 

2. Fried Haddock Steaks. 

Cut slices of fresh fish about three-quarters of an inch thick, remove bones, dredge 
with flour or corn meal which has been slightly salted, dip in egg, and roll in bread 
crumbs. Fry until a light brown. 

3. Baked Haddock with Stuffing. 

Select a fish weighing about 3 pounds. Clean and wipe fish and rub the inside 
with salt. Fill with stuffing and sew together. Cut diagonal gashes about l^ inches 
apart and place strips of salt pork in each gash. Brush with melted butter, sprinkle 
with salt and pepper, dredge with flour, and bake in a dripping pan. Baste the fish 
every 10 minutes after the flour is browned. Cook until the fish separates from the 
bone easily. It may be served plain or with tomato sauce. 



1 cup bread crumbs, 

34 cup milk, 

3^ cup melted butter, 



stuffing . 



34 teaspoon salt, 

Y% teaspoon pepper, 

1 teaspoon grated onion. 



Add the milk, melted butter, salt, pepper, and grated onion to the bread crumbs 
and mix well. 



4. Boiled Haddock with Cream Sauce. 



2 cups haddock, flaked, 

1 cup butter, 

1 tablespoon flour, 



1 cup cream, 

Salt, 

Pepper. 



Clean a fresh haddock, place in a kettle with salted cold water (1 tablespoon salt to 2 
quarts boiling water), and cook until tender. When done, remove the skin and flake. 
Melt the butter in a saucepan, add 1 tablespoon of flour, and mix well. When brown, 
add the cream, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil, mix with fish, and serve. 

5. Boiled Haddock. 



3^2 glass vinegar, 
Yz cup butter. 



3 pounds haddock, 
1 tablespoon salt, 
12 small onions, 

Boil the haddock until tender in well-salted water. Slice the onions and saute in 
the melted butter. When onions are well browned, add the vinegar. Place fish on a 
hot platter, pour onion and vinegar sauce over it, and serve. 



4 pounds haddock, 

3 slices salt pork, 
2 onions, small, 

4 cups potatoes, 



6. Boston Haddock Chowder. 



1 tablespoon salt, 
3-8 teaspoon pepper, 
Crackers. 



Clean and wipe the fish, remove the head, tail, skin, and bones, and put them into 
cold water. Cook them slowly. Slice the potatoes and parboil for 5 minutes. Place 
the slices of pork into an iron kettle. When partly tried out, add the sliced onions, 
then a layer of potatoes and fish. Add salt and pepper to each layer and place hard 
crackers or pilot bread on top. Strain the water from the bones over the mixture and 
boil about 30 minutes. 

7. Cape Ann Fish Chowder. 



2 pounds haddock, 

1 quart potatoes, 

2 slices salt pork, 
1 onion, sliced, 



1 tablespoon flour, 
1 tablespoon butter, 
1 pint milk, 
Crackers. 



Cut the haddock into large thick pieces and wash thoroughly. Pare the potatoes 
and slice very thin. Cut the pork into small cubes and try out in a chowder kettle. 
Take the pork scraps out of the kettle, fry the onion in the fat, stirring occasionally. 
Put a layer of fish in the kettle, then a layer of potatoes^nd so on, until you have used 
up all your ingredients. Cover with cold water and let it come to a boil. Simmer 
until the potatoes are cooked . Mix the flour and melted butter together, add the milk, 
and pour into the kettle. Let it come to a boil once more, add a few crackers, and 
serve. 

8. Haddock Forcemeat. 



3 cups haddock (about 1% pounds), 

3/2 teaspoon salt, 

2 tablespoons butter, melted, 



}/2 cup cream or rich milk, 
2 tablespoons cornstarch, 
Y teaspoon pepper. 



Scrape the white, raw flesh from the bones and skin, put the flesh through a food 
chopper, then into a bowl, and rub with a potato masher until it is thoroughly broken 
up and very smooth. Add the other ingredients, put in a well-buttered mold or pan, 
and bake for 30 minutes. Serve with any desired sauce. 

When cold, it may be sliced, dipped in flour, and fried. It may also be combined 
with diced lobster in a white sauce or with cubes of roast veal in brown gravy. 

COOKED OR "LEFT-OVER" HADDOCK. 

9. Haddock Hash. 

Use equal parts of cold cooked fish and mashed potatoes, mix them well, and season 
to taste. Fry salt pork, remove the scraps, and spread the hash in the frying pan. 
Cook, without stirring it, over a moderate fire, about 30 minutes. When it is browned - 
underneath, fold it over like an omelet and serve on a hot platter. 

10. Haddock Croquettes. 



1 teaspoon parsley, 

1 egg yolk, 

% to 1 cup thick white sauce. 



2 cups flaked haddock, 

Y2 teaspoon salt, 

Pepper, 

Y2, teaspoon onion juice, 

Add the seasoning and egg yolk to the flaked fish and enough white sauce to moisten 
it. Cool the mixture and shape it. Dip into eggs, crumbs, and egg again, and fry in 



11. Haddock Scallop. 



deep fat. 

13/2 cups flaked haddock, 
Y cup bread crumbs, 

1 egg, hard boiled, 

2 tablespoons butter, 

Mix the fish, bread crumbs, parsley, salt, and pepper; then chop and add the egg, 
mixing thoroughly. Put in individual baking dishes, place a bit of butter on top, 
and brown in the oven. 

12. Fish Cakes or Balls. 



Pepper, 

1 teaspoon salt, 

1 teaspoon parsley, chopped. 



1 cup haddock, 

2 cups mashed potatoes, 
legg, 

Y2 tablespoon butter, 



3/g teaspoon pepper, 
Y2 teaspoon salt, 
Chopped parsley. 



6 

Use left-over fish, break into small pieces, mix with the mashed potato, salt, pepper, 
chopped parsley, and butter. Add the beaten egg and shape into balls. Fry in deep 
nit until a nice brown. 

13. Haddock Pie. 

Butter a baking dish, put a thin layer of potatoes on the bottom, then add a thick 
layer of cold cooked fish which has been flaked, sprinkle with salt, pepper, and pars- 
ley, then moisten with milk or gravy. Put a thin layer of riced potatoes on top, and 
bake in a hot oven long enough to heat through; then remove the cover, and brown. 



14. Haddock and Spaghetti Pie. 



1 pound flaked fish, 
3 hard-boiled eggs, 

2 cups spaghetti, boiled, 
2 tablespoons butter, 



3 tablespoons flour, 
2 cups milk, 
Salt and pepper. 



Blend the flour, salt, pepper, and butter together, add the milk and boil until 
thick. Place a layer of spaghetti in a baking dish, then a layer of fish, then pour 
white sauce over this, and put sliced hard-boiled egg on top. Repeat until the dish 
is full, cover with bread crumbs, dot with butter, and bake until brown. 



15. Haddock Bisque. 



1 cup fish, cooked, 

1 cup milk, hot, 

1 cup white stock, 

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce, 

1 teaspoon parsley, chopped, 



1 teaspoon salt, 

Cayenne, 

1 tablespoon flour, 

1 tablespoon butter, 

1 tablespoon cracker crumbs. 



Put fish, stock, and seasoning into a pan, mix the flour and butter together and add 
to the mixture. Bring to a boil, add the hot milk and cracker crumbs. 

16. Haddock Creole. 

1 cup fish, cooked, I 1 cup cream, or rich milk, 

1 cup rice, boiled, I 1 teaspoon salt. 

Mix in order given and heat in a double boiler or chafing dish. 

17. Creamed Fresh Haddock. 



2 cups boiled flaked haddock, 
2 tablespoons butter, 
% teaspoon pepper, 



34 teaspoon salt, 
2 tablespoons flour, 
1 cud milk. 



Put the haddock into a saucepan with the butter, pepper, and salt. "When hot add 
the milk, thicken with flour, and when it boils, serve. 



18. Haddock a la Newburg. 



1 cup cooked fish, flaked, 

1 egg yolk, 

% tablespoon cornstarch, 



1 cup milk, 

2 tablespoons butter, 
Salt, pepper, and nutmeg. 



Heat the fish in a double boiler, mix the cornstarch with some of the milk, then add 
the remaining milk and beaten egg yolk. Season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg, 
and add the butter. Add this to the fish and cook until the mixture thickens. Serve 
on thin toast placed on a heated platter. 

19. Haddock Souffle. 



Salt, 
Pepper, 
Anchovy sauce. 



}/2 pound fish, cooked (1 cup), 

2 eggs, 

4 tablespoons butter, 

Pound the fish, melt the butter and add it to the fish with the well-beaten yolks of 
eggs and seasoning. Beat the whites until stiff, fold into the mixture. Pour into a 
baking dish and bake 20 minutes in a quick oven. 



FINNAN HADDIE, SMOKED HADDOCK. 

20. Baked Finnan Haddie. 

Wash the fish thoroughly; cover with boiling water and let stand 5 minutes; drain 
carefully; and remove the skin and bone. Put the flaked fish in a buttered dish and 
pour over it a white sauce equal in quantity to that of the fish. Cover with crumbs, 
dot with butter, and bake in the oven long enough to brown the crumbs. 

21. Baked Finnan Haddie in Paper. 

Wrap one average-size fish in one or two thicknesses of paper (preferably the brown 
paper used by butchers ) , place in a pan, and put in a hot oven for one-half hour. Tb e 
fish is thus thoroughly heated without being dried out. Before serving remove paper 
wrapping and the skin of the fish. 

22. Broiled Finnan Haddie. 

Broil on a greased broiler until brown on both sides. Remove to a pan and cover 
with boiling water. Let it stand in the water from 6 to 8 minutes, drain, and place 
on a platter. Serve with melted butter or drawn butter sauce. 

23. Boiled Finnan Haddie. 

Remove the skin. Divide the fish lengthwise, then cut each half into four pieces. 
Place in pan, putting the thick slices on the bottom. Pour boiling water over it and 
boil 6 to 8 minutes. Remove to a hot platter and cover with drawn butter sauce. 
Simple cooking preserves the delicate flavor. 

24. Creamed Finnan Haddie on Toast. 

Take 2 cups milk or cream, 2 tablespoonfuls of flour, and 1 cup smoked fish cut 
into small pieces. Boil milk and flour, then add fish and keep on fire until heated 
through. Serve on toast. 

25. Finnan Haddie Croquettes. 

Take 2 cups finely flaked fish, 2 cups cracker crumbs, 1 egg, and one-half cup of 
milk or cream. Beat egg, add remainder of ingredients, and form into croquettes. 
Put equal parts of butter and lard into skillet and fry to a golden brown. Serve od 
hot platter garnished with parsley. 

SALT HADDOCK. 

Salt fish must be freshened before they are used. Place them flesh side down in 
a large volume of water and leave them there for from 12 to 48 hours, according to 
taste and the size and thickness of the fish. Change the water several times. The 
extraction of the salt may be hastened if the fish be raised above the bottom of the 
container by placing it on a wire tray or several clean sticks and, if the pieces be 
thick, by making several deep incisions in the flesh. Less freshening is required 
if the fish be boiled or otherwise cooked in liquid than if used for broiling or frying. 

26. Fried Salt Haddock. 

Boil a piece of fish until it is tender but not broken. Drain, cut into slices an 
inch thick with a sharp knife, and wipe dry with a piece of cheesecloth. Dredge 
the slices with pepper and lay them in a pint of milk in a baking dish or pan. Let 
soak in the milk for at least an hour, then dip each slice in beaten egg, seasoned with 
pepper only, and cover completely with fine bread crumbs. Fry them a live brown 
in hot fat sufficient to cover well. Garnish with cress or parsley and lemon, or serve 
with a dish of crisp cucumbers, cut in thin slices, and a little French dressing. 

27. Baked Salt Haddock. 

To a large teacup of fish, picked fine, add 2 cups of milk, 2 well-beaten eggs, 
half a cup of butter or bacon fat, and season to taste; mix very thoroughly and bake 
one-half hour. 



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28. Baked Salt Haddock 




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Boil for 20 minutes enough fish to make 2 cups of flaked or shredded fish, drain, 
and set away until cold. Add to the fish 1 cupful of mashed potatoes. Mix well 
with 1 cup of milk and the yolks of 2 eggs well whipped. Add a tablespoonful of 
melted butter, 3 tablespoonfuls of grated Parmesan cheese, and season to taste. Turn 
into a greased baking dish, sprinkle grated cheese over the top, and bake to a golden 
brown. Serve immediately. 

29. Salt Haddock Hash. 

For 4 persons, take 2 cups of freshened salt fish chopped fine or run through a meat 
grinder, an equal amount of cold boiled "potatoes treated in the same way, mix and 
moisten with milk in which an egg has been thoroughly whipped. Fry some bacon 
or pork and use the fat for greasing the frying pan, in which the hash is fried brown. 
Now and then add sufficient fat to keep hash from burning, but not enough to 
make it too greasy. It may be turned like an omelet. Serve hot on platter with 
strips of bacon or pork. 

30. Salt Haddock in Cream. 

Tear a piece of fish into small strips, wash clean, and place in a bowl with about 
a quart of water. Let it simmer one-half hour, then pour off the water and add 1 
pint of new milk. When this comes to a boil, thicken with 1 tablespoonful of flour. 
Let it boil 5 minutes, then add butter the size of a walnut and a little pepper, and 
serve. 

31. Salt-Haddock Chowder. 

Take one-half pint of picked salt fish. Pare and thinly slice 1 pint of raw pota- 
toes and 1 large white onion, put in a hot buttered baking dish in alternate layers 
of fish, onion, potato, and 1 cracker crushed fine. Season to taste, cover with hot 
water, and boil gently for 20 minutes. Add 1 pint of hot milk and a few tablespoon- 
fuls of good cream, and let boil up. 



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